INTERNET SALES
20 GROUP XIII

We recently just concluded another successful Internet Sales 20 Group. Dealer principals, GMs and OEMs traveled from all over the United States to get educated on Internet sales. Given this economy, with
everything going on — the uncertainty, the fear, etc. — I could see the stress and panic on their faces, and hear it in their voices.

One thing I made clear to them, as I want to make clear to all of you reading this, is as Stephen Covey would say, “we need to sharpen the saw,” meaning you can’t keep going at a crazy pace at your dealership, bell-to-bell, six-day, seven-day or 13-day work weeks. You will crash and crash hard.

Over the years I have seen numerous people die. That’s right I said die. It is very sad; they put all of their time, energy and essence into the job. Some people are workaholics, some are forced to by Gestapo management and others simply feel that they have no other choice because they are commissioned based, and they need to keep working to support themselves and their families.
The problem is that there is something called a point of diminishing return. Meaning, there is only so much you can squeeze out of something.

Covey says that there are four main categories in which you need to sharpen your saw:
 Physical — exercising, walking, running, yoga, sports etc…
Social/Emotional — spending time with spouse, children, family, going on a date, movies, talking with other people not work related, clubs, dancing, etc… Have fun!
 Mental — Reading books, magazines, Web sites and blogs; puzzles, Sudoku, having fun on Google, practicing word tracks, objections and rebuttals, conducting research about automotive Internet sales and business development for your dealership.
Mental “sharpening of the saw” can be for fun as well as for mastering your craft.
Spiritual — Going to church, volunteering, meditating, centering yourself.

 If you are not happy and at peace within yourself, you will not be able to achieve your maximum potential. If you are working in an Internet department, business development center or phone room, you cannot make call after call after call after call every day, six, seven or more day without a day off. You need to sharpen the saw. I know it sounds hard to accept if you need money now, but I promise you that you will be more productive and more on your game if you have recharged your batteries. We often lose sight of the obvious, such as “sharpen the saw.” Make a commitment to yourself and your dealership that you are going to start taking better care of yourself.